Deadly Apparel Factory Fire in the South Asian nation Takes at Least 16 Victims
A minimum of 16 people have perished after a huge fire broke out at a apparel factory in Bangladesh, with emergency services stating that the fatality count could climb.
A total of sixteen bodies have been retrieved but were burned beyond recognition, the firefighters reported.
Heartbroken relatives assembled outside the four-storey factory in Mirpur, Dhaka on Tuesday in looking for their loved ones still not found.
The inferno, which broke out at the factory around lunchtime, was put out after several hours. But an nearby chemical warehouse remained ablaze, emergency services said.
As late as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) yesterday, the fire at the chemical warehouse had not been completely doused, news sources indicated.
Fire service officials have not ascertained which of the two buildings was the origin point.
According to eyewitnesses, the chemical warehouse stored chemical bleaching agents, plastic materials and hydrogen peroxide, all of which can worsen fires. Plastic also emits poisonous gases when combusted.
Security personnel are still attempting to find the proprietors of the factory and the warehouse, fire department chief the fire service official briefed journalists.
An probe on whether the warehouse was running according to regulations is also ongoing, he mentioned.
Weeping family members stood outside the burned buildings, many of them clutching photographs of their missing relatives.
Among them is a man seeking urgently for his daughter, his loved one.
"When I heard about the fire, I rushed here. But I still have been unable to find her... I just want my child back," he told journalists.
The catastrophic occurrence has once again emphasized the hazardous conditions plaguing Bangladesh's clothing sector, which employs millions of workers and is a major source of foreign revenue for the nation.
